Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under pressure from the United States, has entered into a trade deal that mortgages India’s self-respect and identity, alleged Congress Working Committee member and former minister Naseem Khan.
He claimed that this trade deal would cause significant harm to India, particularly devastating the agricultural sector and the country’s farmers. He demanded that the deal, which he said would reduce India to a subordinate position to the U.S., be scrapped.
On the fifth day of the Nyay Satyagraha protest organised by the Mumbai Youth Congress, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former cabinet minister Arif Naseem Khan attended and addressed party workers. Mumbai Youth Congress president Zeenat Shabreen and hundreds of office-bearers were also present.
Addressing the gathering, Naseem Khan said that for the past 12 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party government has been fuelling Hindu-Muslim divisions in society for political gains. He alleged that religious issues are being raised to cover up the government’s failures, but the public is aware of these tactics.
He further said that the BJP government has no answers to rising unemployment and inflation, with youth struggling to find jobs and businesses shutting down, while the Modi government continues to ignore these issues. He urged young people to raise their voices against the government.
Khan also accused the BJP of functioning in a non-transparent and arbitrary manner across the Centre, state, and municipal bodies. In the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), he alleged discrimination in the allocation of development funds, claiming that ruling party representatives are treated differently from opposition corporators. He demanded equal distribution of development funds to all parties.
Naseem Khan further stated that elections are a cornerstone of democracy, but over the past 8–10 years, doubts have increasingly been raised about the functioning of the Election Commission.
He said multiple complaints have been made and several political parties and leaders have expressed concerns over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). If there are doubts about the machines, they must be addressed, he said, adding that it is the Election Commission’s responsibility to clarify such concerns. However, he alleged that no explanations have been provided and that the Commission is behaving like a political entity, furthering the agenda of the ruling party. He noted that even after the 2024 Assembly election results, people have raised questions. Despite repeated complaints, no action was taken, prompting them to approach the Mumbai High Court, which has now ordered an EVM inspection scheduled for April 16 and 17.